Funding the Funder: The Key to Community-Led Climate Justice

Heeding the call for climate justice means funding resilience projects in the communities that are most vulnerable to climate change. Impact investors know that, but most are challenged to evaluate multiple place-based projects whose success depends on deep technical and community knowledge. This session provides a case study of impact achieved by funding the funders: community capital providers that are working directly with local businesses and institutions to develop climate-positive infrastructure. Michael Jones of RSF Social Finance interviews leaders from community solar funder Sunwealth and regenerative agriculture funder Mad Capital on how they deploy investors’ funds for local and systemic impact: Sunwealth by making solar power affordable to LMI communities and Mad Capital by enabling Midwest and High Plains farmers to transition to carbon-sequestering regenerative practices. Jones also provides a template for conducting due diligence on community climate project funders like these.